V&A home page

THE SPIRIT OF TRANSFORMATION: THE NO MASKS OF SUZUKI NOJIN
Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art
20 February - 31 March 2002

No mask of Namanari, by Suzuki Nojin (b.1928), 1978. FE.2-1994. Carved and painted wood. 21.6 x 14.4cm. The mask is used for the role of a demonic woman in the play Kanawa.
Masks have long served an integral part in Japan's religious observances, rituals, festivals and theatre. They function as symbols of 'possession' that allow their wearers to represent kami, historical figures and sacred beings deriving from mythology and folk beliefs, or their human incarnations. This display is devoted to masks carved for the classical No theatre by Suzuki Nojin, a Kobe-based artist who has specialised in the field for over 30 years.
Japan 2001 at the V&A home page
Next event
Previous event
Main events
No mask of Namanari, by Suzuki Nojin (b.1928), 1978. FE.2-1994. Carved and painted wood. 21.6 x 14.4cm. The mask is used for the role of a demonic woman in the play Kanawa.